Card blocking device for a smart card connector

ABSTRACT

A card blocking or card locking apparatus in particularly for a smart card connector of the push/push design. A blocking element which closes an opening adapted for introducing a smart card in case the card  2  is in a reading position and opens the opening  40  in case the card  2  is to be inserted or is to be removed into or from the smart card connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a smart card connector (also referred to as achip card reader or short as a reader) and, in particular, to a smartcard connector of the push/push design (push/push smart card connector).The invention relates, in particular, to a card lock (also referred toas a card locking apparatus or card security means) for such a push/pushsmart card connector (push/push-reader).

2. Description of the Related Art

From German patent P 36 25 306 a smart card connector using a so-calledguide or guide collar is already known. The invention also provides foran improvement in connection with said guide collar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a smart cardconnector, in particular of the push/push design, such that the smartcard or chip card (short: card) is not accessible after insertion.Preferably it is desired that the card is locked in a reading position.After the reading process is finished, it is desired that the cardreturns into an input/output position upon applying a repeated pressureagainst the guide or guide collar.

In accordance with the present invention a card lock is provided inparticular for a push/push-reader, wherein, preferably, a reader with aflat design is used.

In accordance with the invention a card guide and protection means,preferably a centrally guided guide element, which is placed in front ofthe combination, which forms the actual reader. Said centrally guidedguide element is preferably designed as a guide or guide collar. Theguide collar together with a lever mounted thereon and a curve in theshape of a heart can form a “ballpoint pen mechanic”. Consequently, theguide collar (which can generally be referred to as a guide element) canbe placed in a known manner in three positions, namely:

1. a forwardly located input/output position

2. a central detent/reading position

3. a backward position/release movement

According to the invention the card locking apparatus, which inparticular comprises a blocking element blocking or unblocking a cardslot of the reader, is designed such that the card located in the guidecollar

is blocked or locked in the centrally and backwardly located positions,and

is released or accessible in the forwardly located position.

The blocking element is preferably a guide element, in particular a leafguide, which is actuable due to the special design of the guide collar.For example the actuation occurs by means of a pin. The locking orblocking element serves for opening (opening position) or closing(closing position) the slot of the reader which serves for insertion andextraction of the card.

The present invention avoids malfunctions, which can occur with freelyaccessible cards, in particular with push/push-readers, because saidpush/push-readers are frequently operated incorrectly in the push/pullmanner. For applications in a motor vehicle the guide collar designedaccording to the invention provides protection against injuries causedby projecting cards. The design of the card locking apparatus accordingto the invention provides for a high protection when vibrations occur.

In particular due to the fact that the locking of the card is realizeddirectly by means of a guide element, a small height for the reader isobtained, which is advantageous in connection with a push/push-reader.For example, the height which can be obtained by the design according tothe invention is smaller than 6 mm.

Further advantages, objects and details of the invention can be gatheredfrom the description of an embodiment described with reference to thedrawing:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a push/push-reader along line I—I in FIG.2, with the schematic sectional view showing a card locking apparatushaving a blocking element for the push/push-reader;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the card locking apparatus of FIG. 1 in itsinput/output position and in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III-—III in FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the card locking apparatus in accordancewith FIG. 3 in the central detent/reading position with the blockingelement being closed (closed position).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 discloses a push/push smart card reader 10 (which will also becalled in short a push/push reader) into which a smart card 2 can beinserted. A guide or guide collar 12 is provided similar to what isshown in German patent P 36 25 306. The smart card connector 10comprises a housing portion 11 within which for instance a contactcarriage, not shown, is reciprocally mounted. Said contact carriage canbe lowered, for instance when inserting the smart card 2 (short: card orchip card 2) into the push/push reader 10 onto contact zones of the card2.

The push/push reader 10 further comprises said guide collar (generally,a guide element) 12. The guide collar can be moved from the positionshown in FIG. 1, i.e. the forward input/output position, towards thehousing portion 11 carrying out a movement x1, so as to subsequentlyassume the central detent/reading position as shown in FIG. 3. If onewould like to withdraw the card 2 from the central detent/readingposition, then—for a smart card reader 10 of the push/push design andstarting from the position shown in FIG. 3—one needs to push again ontosaid guide collar 12 so as to move said guide collar 12 against theforce of a guide towards said housing portion 11 (said guide is notshown, but biases the guide collar 12 in the direction of the leftarrowhead in FIGS. 1 and 3). After having moved over the distance x2 inthe direction of the right arrowhead due to the pressure exertedmanually onto the guide collar 12, the initially mentioned mechanicallows that the guide collar 12 is guided back into its frontalinput/output position in accordance with FIG. 1 by means of the guide(not shown). The guide not shown in the drawing could act for instancebetween the guide collar 12 and the housing portion 11 so as to bias theguide or guide collar 12 into the position shown in FIG. 1. Asmentioned, when moving the guide collar 12 to the housing portion 11,i.e. from the frontal input/output position to the backward position theguide collar 12 is moved against the force of said guide.

The push/push smart card connector 10 of the invention uses the knowinitially explained mechanic, which allows that the guide collar 12 canbe moved (pushed) from the position in accordance with FIG. 1 to itscentral detent/reading position. By means of a further movement (push)the guide collar 12 can be moved from said central detent/readingposition into its backward position, a movement which initiates arelease movement in leftward direction, i.e. in direction of theinput/output position in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2.

In accordance with the invention a card locking apparatus 22 (alsocalled a card block or card lock) is provided. The card lockingapparatus 22 secures the card 2 located in the central detent/readingposition with respect to access as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The embodiment shown discloses in detail a card slot part 14 mounted atthe housing portion 11. The card slot part 14 comprises upper and lowerslot walls 15 as well as lateral slot walls, which are not shown. Allsaid walls define a card slot 18, which is adapted to receive the smartcard 2. The slot 18 is open towards its frontal or left end as is shownin FIG. 1 (opening 40) to allow insertion of a smart card 2. The slot 18is also open at its oppositely located backward end so that the card 2can project with its end carrying the contact zones into the housingportion 11. In the housing portion 11 the contacting of the contactzones of the card can be carried out for instance by the carriagecarrying contact elements at the time the card 2 is located in itscentral detent/reading position as shown in FIG. 3.

The guide collar 12 is slideably mounted on the card slot part 14 for areciprocal movement between the mentioned positions. The guide collar 12comprises a lower wall 33 and an upper wall 34 as well as lateral walls35 and 36 and a frontal wall 37. In the frontal wall 37 has a slotlikeopening, so as to insert the card 2 therethrough such that the card canbe located in the receiving slot 18. (As already mentioned, the guidecollar 12 is also referred to as guide collar 12 inasmuch as the guidecollar 12 is biased by the mentioned not shown guide into the positionin accordance with FIG. 1.) It should again be emphasized that the guidecollar 12 is coupled to the mentioned mechanics which guarantees thementioned push/push sequence of motions.

The locking apparatus 22 of the invention comprises a locking orblocking element 24, which is formed, in the embodiment shown, as a leafguide 24.

Said leaf guide is fixedly mounted with its right end (see FIG. 1) forinstance at housing portion 11 in any suitable manner, and the leafguide tends to assume the position shown in FIG. 3 closing the card slot18 due to the inherent guide action. For the actuation of the blockingelement 24 control means are provided, preferably in the form of a pin29. The leaf guide 24 can be a metal guide or a plastic guide.

The blocking element 24 does not extend across the entire width of theguide collar 12, see FIG. 4, but only across about half of the width.The blocking element 24 comprises further, as is shown in FIG. 1, anangled cam surface 27. Said cam surface 27 is in abutment with the camsurface 27 of the control means, which is provided preferably in theform of a pin 27, due to the guide force, which is preferably inherentto said blocking element 24. The pin 29 is in turn connected by means ofa wall portion 31 to the guide collar 12. As can be seen in FIG. 4, pin29 is not only held in the wall portion 31, but also with its oppositelylocated end in the side wall 35. Thus, when the guide collar 12 is movedfrom the position shown in FIG. 1 into the position shown in FIG. 3,then the cam surface 27 can slide on the pin 29 and the blocking element24 is lowered. In this manner a wall portion 25 mounted at the left end(see FIG. 1) of the control element 24) moves in front of the leftopening 40 to the slot 18 and closes said slot. If the guide collar 12is moved in the opposite direction, then the guide slot 18 is openedagain.

Preferably the guide collar 11 is coupled to the reciprocally mountedcarriage, which carries contact elements, such that for a movement ofthe guide collar 12 towards the housing portion 11 the moveable contactsupport carriage is lowered towards the contact zones of the card 2.

What is claimed is:
 1. A card blocking or card locking apparatus for asmart card connector of the push/push design comprising a blockingelement which blocks an opening adapted to introduce the smart card incase the card is located in a reading position and which opens theopening in case the card needs to be introduced or taken out of thesmart card connector, wherein the blocking element is a leaf guide,which is biased into a position closing said slot and can be opened by acontrol means against the biasing force.
 2. The card blocking apparatusof claim 1, wherein a guide element is reciprocally mounted in a director indirect manner at the smart card connector and actuates dependent onits movement the blocking element, which in turn opens or closes saidopening.
 3. The card blocking apparatus of claim 1, comprising controlmeans for the actuation of said blocking element.
 4. The card blockingapparatus of claim 3, wherein said control means are mounted on theguide element.
 5. The blocking apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controlmeans are provided in the form of a pin.
 6. The card blocking apparatusof claim 5, wherein said pin cooperates with a cam surface of the cardblocking apparatus so as to open or close an opening of a slot.
 7. Thecard blocking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leaf guide is a plasticguide or a metal leaf guide which is fixedly mounted at its one end atthe push/push smart card reader or a housing portion, while the otherfree end is angled and forms a locking wall portion, so that a generallyhook-shaped form results.
 8. The card blocking apparatus of claim 1,wherein the guide element is biased by a guide into an opening positionand is moveable against the force of said guide on a card slot parttowards the push/push smart card connector.
 9. A card blocking apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the guide element is a guide collar. 10.The card blocking apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mechanic is provided,which provides for the guide collar a frontal input/output position, acentral detent/reading position and a backward position, the latterproviding for the release movement.